Diatoms, Dinos and UV!

[Tritie]

I have coolia dinos that I am using UV to treat. However, I also either have procentrum or LCA. Can I run UV, and dose silicates concurrently to induce a diatom bloom? Or will the UV just hinder diatom bloom?

55 gal display, 25 watt Pentair uv plumbed from DT to DT. 110gph flow through UV.

 

[Dan_P]

I have coolia dinos that I am using UV to treat. However, I also either have procentrum or LCA. Can I run UV, and dose silicates concurrently to induce a diatom bloom? Or will the UV just hinder diatom bloom?

55 gal display, 25 watt Pentair uv plumbed from DT to DT. 110gph flow through UV.

Is the nitrate concentration high enough for a diatom bloom?

 

[Tritie]

Is the nitrate concentration high enough for a diatom bloom?

Nitrate is always higher. 10+ ppm. Probably more now. It's my phos that is always the issue. I dose about 0.25ppm per day spread out between 3 doses and it always ends up at zero by next morning.

 

[Dan_P]

Nitrate is always higher. 10+ ppm. Probably more now. It's my phos that is always the issue. I dose about 0.25ppm per day spread out between 3 doses and it always ends up at zero by next morning.

For my own edification, would tell me how old your system is? the fact that there is nitrate accumulation but not phosphate accumulation, says the sand and rocks are relatively new. My reasoning (faulty?) is that biotic processes affect both chemical species while an abiotic process like aragonite adsorption consumes only phosphate leaving phosphate. Dosing amino acids, ammonia or nitrate could cause accumulation of nitrate, but that is sort of an abiotic process. Thanks

 

[Tritie]

Tank was started Feb 2022 with dry rock and sand. Although I did add 5lbs of Ocean Direct Live Sand. It cycled without lights through most of the summer. I added a small light just to give the single fish some illumination. I did not add my first coral until March 2023 (GSP) which I placed under the little Kessil A80. Turned on Radion/T5's in May or June of this year and started adding more corals. Been constantly dosing huge amounts of phos for almost a year.

 

[Dan_P]

Tank was started Feb 2022 with dry rock and sand. Although I did add 5lbs of Ocean Direct Live Sand. It cycled without lights through most of the summer. I added a small light just to give the single fish some illumination. I did not add my first coral until March 2023 (GSP) which I placed under the little Kessil A80. Turned on Radion/T5's in May or June of this year and started adding more corals. Been constantly dosing huge amounts of phos for almost a year.

Thank you for the details. Very useful

 

[Doberlander]

I have same question as the OP - should UV and ozone be turned off to allow the diatoms to flourish?

 

[Reef Puncher]

So i have had prorocentrum and another one thats either small cell amphindium or coolia. The UV for me does very little. Simply because these species dont migrate into water column on their own. However its not COMPLETELY useless to have a UV because you can force them into the water column with a 2 day blackout then the UV would work. Im still battling them months later. My latest method is trying Dr Tims. Im in day 7 of the Dr Tims Dino protocol. It does appear they are reducing.

I feel greatly for anyone with this problem. I started dosing silicates about a week ago. But I havnt seen a diatom bloom yet though.

 

[Idech]

I feel greatly for anyone with this problem. I started dosing silicates about a week ago. But I havnt seen a diatom bloom yet though.

It takes longer than a week to see results. I battled dinos many times and never saw a diatoms bloom, except once, the last time. And it wasn’t that obvious.

It took me about 6-8 weeks to win the battle when I dosed silicates.